Portfolio Seminar and Discussion

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 by 10 pm at the Education Center located on the second floor at 320 Newbury Street.

Purpose of the Portfolio Review

The BAC Portfolio Review is intended to evaluate a student's readiness for advancement through the BAC curriculum and to communicate the results of this evaluation to the student through a standardized process. It is also an opportunity for the BAC's faculty to better understand the school's overarching curricular goals, as well as the role that their own course(s) play in support of these goals.All BAC students must submit a portfolio at the end of their Segment 1 curriculum. Students in the schools of Architecture, Interior Design and Landscape Architecture will also submit a portfolio near the end of their Segment II curriculum. The School of Design Studies does not require a Segment II review.

ProceduresStudents register for the Portfolio Review when they register for classes. Counselors from Academic Services and Practice review each student's eligibility once they are registered. The Segment I and II Portfolio Reviews are held in January, May, and July. Portfolios are reviewed by the BAC's faculty and by Education Directors. All reviewers are required to attend a one-hour calibration before participating in their first review; after this initial introduction, attendance at subsequent calibrations is optional but encouraged at least once every two years. Portfolios are reviewed independently by a minimum of two reviewers. If the first two reviewers agree on whether the portfolio should pass or fail, a Senior Reviewer will write a "confirming" review, summarizing the comments of the first two reviewers. If the first two reviewers disagree on whether the portfolio should pass or fail, a Senior Reviewer will write a full third review, and the book will pass or fail according to the Senior Reviewer's decision. Students are not present during the Portfolio Review, and so it is crucial that the work included in the portfolio be communicated clearly.

Segment 1 ReviewThis review is a student's first opportunity to submit a compilation of work that clearly documents progress and growth through the Foundation curriculum. Upon completion of the required studios in the program of study and the Segment 1 courses listed on their degree program curriculum sheet, all students must sit for the Segment 1 Portfolio Review. The requirements for what is to be included in the Segment 1 portfolio differs for each program of study. A student whose portfolio passes the Segment 1 Review is allowed to continue on to Segment 2 course work. Students whose portfolios fail the Review are given one opportunity to resubmit, and they are permitted to take a limited number of Segment 2 courses during the semester they are working on their re-submittal. If a student's book fails a second time, the student is required to take a remedial studio before submitting for a third and final review. A student whose book fails this third review is dismissed from the program.

Segment 2 ReviewThe Segment 2 portfolio must clearly document progress and growth through Segment 2; it must include academic, professional, and personal projects. Office and studio work is evaluated with an eye toward the interaction between the academic and practice learning environments. Reviewers look for clarity in design concepts and vigorous exploration in supportive studies. Students are encouraged to submit their Segment 2 portfolio at the earliest date possible - after their third advanced studio, rather than after their fourth. Students whose portfolios pass the Segment 2 Review are allowed to continue on to Segment 3 course work. Students whose portfolios fail the Segment 2 review are encouraged to take an additional advanced studio to address the reviewers' concerns.